To keep up with the latest food trends, I subscribe to several food magazines. Sometimes I love the new recipes I try, and sometimes not. My latest issue of Bon Appetit, March 2025, had a recipe for Roasted Cauliflower Salad with Feta and Dates. It looked mouthwatering, so I made it for my husband. His assessment—absolutely to die for! Russ is a meat-and-potatoes guy, and I struggle to find vegetarian recipes that he likes. His doctor want him to eat more fruits and veggies. Isn’t that true of all of us?
In case you also cook for a meat-and-potatoes type and don’t get Bon Appetit, I thought I would share their recipe with you.
The Bon Appetit recipe calls for raw pistachios. Since I had dry-roasted pistachios in my pantry and didn’t want to purchase raw, I used dry-roasted. If you want to use raw, add them when you add the feta and capers. I have made this recipe with dates and without. It is just as delicious without the dates if you don’t want to spend the extra money.
I edited the directions (just like I do with Ina’s recipes) and changed the roasting time. In my opinion, Bon Appetit roasted the cauliflower at too high a temperature (450 degrees) and for too long—another 14 minutes more than my version. I don’t like my cauliflower that browned. The ingredients are identical except for the type of pistachios, and I didn’t use as much olive oil as Bon Appetit suggested.
This salad is so filling you really don’t need to prepare anything else. We served it with crusty bread, and my meat-and-potatoes husband was happy as a clam!
Roasted Cauliflower Salad with Feta and Dates
Serves 4
For the dressing:
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon minced garlic
In a small bowl, place vinegar, olive oil, honey, and garlic and whisk to blend. Set aside.
1 large head cauliflower, leaves removed and stem trimmed
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt for seasoning
1 medium red onion, sliced into 1-inch thick wedges through root end, layers separated
1 (6-ounce) chunk feta cheese, cut into ½-inch thick slices and 1 ½-inch pieces
2 tablespoons capers, drained
½ (5 ounces) package baby arugula
2 tablespoons shelled, dry-roasted pistachios
1 cup pitted Medjool dates, cut into ½-inch slices, about 6
Freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Cut cauliflower through its core into ½-inch thick slabs. On a rimmed baking sheet place cauliflower in a single layer. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil and season to taste with salt. Toss gently to coat evenly. Roast cauliflower for 18 minutes. Remove from the oven.
Place red onion slices in a large bowl. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil and season to taste with salt. Toss gently to coat. Place red onion wedges over cauliflower. Roast another 10 minutes, or until onion is slightly softened. Remove from the oven.
Using a spatula, flip over vegetables. Place feta pieces over the vegetables and scatter capers on top. (If you use raw pistachios, add them now). Roast for another 8 minutes. Let cool about 5 minutes before mixing salad.
In a large bowl, place arugula, dry-roasted pistachios, dates, and dressing and toss to combine. Scatter the arugula over the cauliflower mixture. Using a spatula, toss to combine. Season to taste with freshly ground black pepper.
Tips on selecting cauliflower: A good quality head of cauliflower will have uniform color and densely-packed, compact curls with bright green leaves that are firmly attached to its core. White cauliflower should have a creamy, white color. Pass up this vegetable when it has tiny, black mold spots, blemishes, or yellow, wilted leaves. This is an indication of an old cauliflower. Its leaves should look fresh and vibrant.
Tips on storing cauliflower: Cauliflower will keep up to 1 week in the refrigerator when placed in a reusable, paper, or plastic bag.
Carol Ann
Carol Ann Kates is the award-winning author of cookbook, Secret Recipes from the Corner Market, and international Amazon best-selling and award-winning author of Grocery Shopping Secrets. She’s an expert in how to shop, select, and store produce for maximizing home cooking outcomes and minimizing time and money spent. As a former supermarket and deli operator, Carol Ann shares grocery-insider wisdom—the same expertise you used to receive when patronizing a mom-and-pop establishment. Contact her at CarolAnn@CarolAnnKates.com and explore her website, www.CarolAnnKates.com.
Copyright 2025 All Rights Reserved Carol Ann Kates
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